Page 53 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges

“You should have said something. We could have left sooner.”

“And miss the grand finale?” She shook her head, then winced as she rolled her shoulders. “Though I wouldn’t say no toa hot bath right about now. These muscles aren’t used to all the present wrapping.”

“You can use my bathroom if you want… since the guest bath only has a shower.”

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing at her lips. “Do you actually take baths or let the tub collect dust?”

“There’s nothing wrong with appreciating a good soak.” I hated admitting to something that Max and Levi would never let me live down if they knew.

“I bet you have one of those fancy bath bomb collections hidden away somewhere.” She stepped closer, her hands sliding up my chest to loop around the back of my neck. “Probably color-coded and arranged by scent.”

I cleared my throat, thinking of the cupboard in my bathroom that held exactly that. “I’ll neither confirm nor deny having such things.”

Her laugh echoed through the hall. “Oh my God, you do! The king of the gift-wrapping industry takes bubble baths with sparkly bath bombs.”

“Would you like to use the tub or not?” I tried to sound stern, but her playful teasing made it impossible to maintain my usual stoic demeanor.

“I’ll stop… at least now I know what to get you for Christmas.” She planned on buying me a gift? I hadn’t even given much thought to Christmas presents, but it seemed I needed to.

I guided her to my wing of the house, watching as she took in the minimalist decor and neutral color palette I’d chosen. The space reflected my preferences for clean lines and understated elegance, a stark contrast to the festive explosion she’d created in our common areas.

“Very you.” She ran her fingers along a sleek console table. The simple gesture made me oddly self-conscious about mydesign choices, as if she were reading more into them than just furniture placement.

“Is that a compliment or a criticism?” I couldn’t decipher her cryptic tone. Her ability to keep me guessing was both frustrating and intriguing, a combination I was becoming increasingly familiar with where Emery was concerned.

“A compliment. It’s just a style choice.” She paused at a photo of Max, Levi, and me on graduation day. “Look at how young you three look!”

“Hey, don’t call us old,” I said, deliberately misunderstanding.

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

I placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the hall and into my room. It was as simple as the living room and kitchenette, with the same neutral tones and clean lines that I liked. But suddenly, I found it was maybe lacking a little color.

I pushed open the door to the bathroom and laughed at her gasp of appreciation. The bathroom was all black marble and glass with gold fixtures. A large freestanding tub sat in front of a wall of windows looking out over the backyard. There was even electronic privacy glass so no one could see in.

“This is incredible.” She went to the tub and ran her hand along its edge. “You could fit three or four people in here!”

The image that conjured made me grab a towel and put it on the warming rack, desperately needing something to do with my hands. “There are bath supplies in that cabinet.” I pointed to a built-in unit between the tub and shower. “Use whatever you’d like.”

She opened the cabinet and let out a delighted laugh. “I knew it! These are organized by color!”

“It’s how they are packaged,” I muttered, but couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm as she examined my collection.

“Lavender Dreams, Midnight Jasmine, Stress Relief... Oh, what’s this one? Sleep Tight?” She held up a dark blue sphere. “Mind if I use this one?”

“It’s all yours. It’s my favorite,” I admitted, then immediately wondered why I’d shared that detail. “It helps after long days at work.”

“Which seems to be everyday…” She shut the cabinet.

I handed her a washcloth, our fingers brushing. “There’s a robe on the hook behind the door. I’ll um...” I gestured vaguely toward the door.

“You don’t have to go. I mean, this is your bathroom. You could join me.” There was a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

The invitation hung in the air between us, loaded with possibility. Taking a bath with someone was next level intimate, and this was uncharted territory for me. I’d never taken a bath or shower with a woman, never getting to that place where I wanted that level of intimacy. It should have scared me that I felt this way so quickly with Emery, but it felt right.

“Okay.” I turned on the faucet, adjusted the temperature of the water until it was perfect before dropping the bath bomb in.

Emery stood beside me, her fingers playing with the hem of her sweater. I turned to face her and leaned in, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Her hands slid up my chest, pushing my shirt up, and I broke away long enough to let her pull it off. She shed her sweater and stood before me in a simple black bra and jeans.

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